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Turkish Press Review, 97-12-04
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL IN ABU DABI
[02] PRIME MINSITER YILMAZ IN BULGARIA
[03] TURKEY AND BULGARIA COOPERATE AGAINST TERRORISM
[04] YILMAZ TO VISIT LONDON
[05] CEM: "US UNDERSTANDS TURKEY"
[06] ANKARA CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACK ON GREEK PATRIARCHATE
[07] TURKEY AND BELGIUM SIGN EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
[08] TURKEY AND TRNC SIGN PROTOCOL OF CULTURAL COOPERATION
[09] TURKISH NOVEMBER EXPORTS UP FOUR PERCENT TO $2.43 BLN
[10] DRUG OPERATIONS
[11] ERSUMER RETURNS HOME
[12] TURKEY RANKS FIFTY THIRD IN LIBERALIZATION
[13] NEW NATO COMMAND STRUCTURE
[14] FRANCE HOPEFUL ON TURKEY'S CANDIDACY CHANCE
[15] WORLD DISABLED DAY CELEBRATED
[16] MEDIA MONOPOLY LEGALIZED
[17] REVOLUTION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
[18] NEW ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR IMF
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
04.12.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] DEMIREL IN ABU DABI
Completing his visit to Oman, President Suleyman Demirel went
yesterday to United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a press conference in Abu
Dabi, President Suleyman Demirel accused Syria of extending support to
terrorism. Demirel stressed that Turkey would in no way share its
water resources with Syria and Iraq, but added that Ankara could
consider cooperation with these countries for using rationally
regional water resources. Demirel added that Turkey was ready to
cooperate with Syria in security issues, and pointed that Syrian
officials have not responded to Turkish calls for cooperation.
/Cumhuriyet and all papers/
[02] PRIME MINSITER YILMAZ IN BULGARIA
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will pay an official visit to Bulgaria
today. This is the first visit to Bulgaria of a Turkish prime
minister in 19 years. During the meeting, bilateral problems and
issues of regional importance will be taken up. /Milliyet/
[03] TURKEY AND BULGARIA COOPERATE AGAINST TERRORISM
Turkish Minister of the Interior Murat Basesgioglu went yesterday to
Sofia for contacts with his Bulgarian counterpart Bogomil Bonev.
Measures for improving cooperation against terrorism will be high on
the agenda, and a special bilateral security agreement will be
discussed in detail. /Milliyet/
[04] YILMAZ TO VISIT LONDON
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will pay a visit to London to meet British
leader Tony Blair. The visit is designed as a move to block Greek
efforts to undermine Turkey's EU membership bid. Yilmaz's contacts in
London have special importance because in January Britain will become
EU's new term-president. /Milliyet/
[05] CEM: "US UNDERSTANDS TURKEY"
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who is in Washington, said that U.S.
understood Turkey's strategic importance however the European Union
(EU) did not. Cem added: "Turkey is a bridge between Eastern and
Western Europe. The EU cannot realise new economic and cultural
dimensions that it will reach via Turkey. Also, the EU has not
understood Turkey's importance. The US is more courageous than the
EU." /Sabah-Milliyet/
[06] ANKARA CONDEMNS BOMB ATTACK ON GREEK PATRIARCHATE
Ankara condemned yesterday a bomb attack at the Greek Patriarchate in
Istanbul that took place midnight on Tuesday, slightly injuring one
Orthodox priest, the Foreign Ministry announced. A bomb exploded at
the Greek Patriarchate in Balat, Istanbul at just after midnight. The
bomb, thrown over the wall of the Patriarchate on the Balat Street
side, exploded with a tremendous roar.
A visiting religious official of Greek origin, Nicolu Nectarius, was
injured on the arm and taken to the American Hospital. The police who
started an extensive search operation around the Patriarchate took
some suspects into custody. The Foreign Ministry announced: "We
condemn such cases of violent acts, no matter which country it takes
place in. It is only natural that every effort will be made to
decisively prevent the repetition of such an incident and to bring
before court those responsible for this act". /All papers/
[07] TURKEY AND BELGIUM SIGN EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
After a series of meetings between December 1-3, Turkey and Belgium
signed a cultural, educational and scientific exchange programme on
Wednesday. The programme includes cooperation in the fields of
education, science, art, youth, sport and press and will be realized
in the next two years. Within this framework, mutual scholarships on
subjects including public administration will be established. The
meetings were headed by Cultural Issues Deputy General Director and
Ambassador Vaka Inal and the International Relations General
Commission's West European Department Director Jules Ghaude.
[08] TURKEY AND TRNC SIGN PROTOCOL OF CULTURAL COOPERATION
Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) signed
yesterday in Lefkosa, a protocol for cultural cooperation in order to
increase the level of current relations and cooperation and to improve
cultural relations in accordance with Ataturk's principles. Turkish
Culture Minister Istemihan Talay stated before the signing that the
current relations between the two countries will be further increased
and that TRNC artists will get the opportunity to perform in Turkey.
He also said that historical sites from the Ottoman era in the TRNC
will be restored in joint ventures. On the other hand, his Turkish
Cypriot counterpart, Gunay Caymaz, said that Turkey has always been on
their side and expressed his gratitude for this. The artistic work of
Turkish Cypriots, who played an important role in the preservation of
Turkish culture in Cyprus, will have the opportunity of being promoted
in Turkey, he said.
[09] TURKISH NOVEMBER EXPORTS UP FOUR PERCENT TO $2.43 BLN
Turkish exports rose four percent to $2.43 billion in November, from
$2.33 billion in the same month last year, the Turkish Exporters'
Assembly (TIM) said in a report yesterday. Total exports through
November jumped 14 percent to $24.39 billion, compared to $21.40
billion in the same 1996 period. "We aim to reach $27 billion of
exports by the end of this year" TIM chairman Okan Oguz said in a
statement, adding that the rise was so far satisfactory, given
contractions in international markets.
[10] DRUG OPERATIONS
Security Chief of Istanbul, Hasan Ozdemir, has stated that between the
years of 1984 and 1996, drugs connected with the PKK terrorist
organization were seized comprising nearly 2.5 tons of heroin, 13 tons
of hashish, 4 tons of unadulterated morphin, 2 tons of Indian hemp and
2 tons of acidhydride. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] ERSUMER RETURNS HOME
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Cumhur Ersumer, who
returned from Turkmenistan yesterday, held a press conference and
noted that a technical delegation from the Turkish Petroleum Board
(TPAO) would go to Turkmenistan to carry out drilling and exploration
for oil in the Amuderya region of Turkmenistan. /Cumhuriyet/
[12] TURKEY RANKS FIFTY THIRD IN LIBERALIZATION
In research for the year 1988, The Heritage Foundation, one of the
leading US research institutions, placed Turkey in 53rd rank as a
country having a liberal economic system among 156 countries. In the
research, Turkey took place before Greece, which ranked 66th.
/Cumhuriyet/
[13] NEW NATO COMMAND STRUCTURE
The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that a document, which determined
the new command control structure of NATO and was signed in Brussels,
was not a bilateral agreement between Turkey and Greece. Foreign
Ministry Deputy Spokesman, Sermet Atacanli, noted that the development
was welcomed with pleasure and said: "With this document, it is
foreseen that command-control problems between Turkey and Greece in
the Aegean will be overcome". /Cumhuriyet/
[14] FRANCE HOPEFUL ON TURKEY'S CANDIDACY CHANCE
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine told the National Assembly that
he hoped Turkish participation in the European Conference would be
accepted by all during the Luxembourg summit next week. "We are
working hard to convince our partners, including the Germans and the
Greeks, of the fairness of the idea and I think we will achieve this
at the Luxembourg summit" Vedrine said. Vedrine told the National
Assembly that France wanted a European conference of all candidate
countries, including Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
[15] WORLD DISABLED DAY CELEBRATED
World Disabled Day is celebrated throughout the world, as well as in
Turkey, with various activities, the Anatolian news agency reported
yesterday. To mark the day, President Suleyman Demirel issued a
message in which he stated that more than 10 percent of Turkey's
population is composed of handicapped people and that it is one of
Turkish nation's social problems. He said: "As a nation and as a
government, it is our main duties to take care of our disabled people.
The Turkish Republic, which is a social state, always takes care of
our disabled people and helps to solve their problems".
[16] MEDIA MONOPOLY LEGALIZED
The Parliament is about to pass a law that will remove legal obstacles
for setting up a media monopoly. The draft will lift present
limitations allowing persons to own only up to 20 percent of the
shares of media establishments. The new draft opens the way to the
stock exchange market and biddings for owners of radio and television
channels, and lifts similar limitations presently valid for newspaper
owners. /Cumhuriyet/
[17] REVOLUTION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The government is preparing for a revolution in private school
charges. Massive incentives will extended to private schools, thus
charges will be tried to be curbed. The Ministry of Education has
designed a draft law aimed at inciting private schools. After
Education Minister Mehmet Ulugbay's finishing touches, the draft will
be submitted to the Council of Ministers. According to the draft, the
rights acknowledged by municipalities, private provincial
administrations and other institutions as belonging to public schools
will be valid for private schools. Private schools and courses will
not be included in the context of commercial offices any more.
/Hurriyet/
[18] NEW ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR IMF
The Higher Advisory Council of TUSIAD, to convene in Ankara today,
will discuss a proposal of Chairman Bulent Eczacibasi. Eczacibasi
will call for a Turkish Maastricht. According to this proposal,
initially basic economic and fiscal targets must be set. These
targets must be discussed in the Economic and Social Council. The
government must submit this bill to the parliament and it must be
passed through the parliament as a law binding on every government to
come.
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz announced that they would publicize a new
programme prior to the IMF meetings scheduled for next week.
/Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
END
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